New Sitcoms vs. Old Sitcoms

 The passing Of Uncle Phil (James Avery) from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" had me thinking about the sitcoms from that generation.  I tear up so much more watching the shows from the 90's.  Don't get me wrong, I tear up at the newer shows too, but it's because I'm laughing so hard!  The sitcoms from our past generations were much more heart wrenching and they really hit a lot of tough topics including abuse, the death of a child, and infertility.

Here are a few examples that make me tear up every time I watch them.






1.  Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:

This TV show had a lot of laughs in it, but the premise of the show is pretty hard hitting.  Anyone who watched this show only a few times probably still has the theme song stuck in their head!  " I got in one little fight and my mom got scared, and said you're moving with your Auntie and Uncle in Bel-Air" So not only did his mom send him away, his dad had left him as a young child.  In this episode, his dad had came back into his life, only to disappoint and leave him again.  The acting is so good in the scene that Will really makes you feel for him.   

2.  Friends

There are so many Friends episodes that I could choose from. This one in particular always gets me.  Chandler and Monica have just found out that they most likely will not be able to have children.  To have children is hands down the best feeling in the world. The thought of not being able to get pregnant has got to be so hard to deal with. They are so good at portraying their feelings here.

3.  Roseanne

In this episode Jackie gets physically abused by her husband.  She is trying to hide it from Roseanne, because she is embarrassed.  What other sitcom do you know of that talk about abuse on this level?  The best part is when Dan grabs his coat and leaves.  You know exactly where he is headed.

There are many more examples of emotional sitcoms, but these were some of my favorite.  The first time I watched them, while in my teens, it didn't affect me as much as they do now as a parent.  It can be the littlest thing during a show that will make me cry now.  Life has a different meaning to me today.  It's easier to image myself in their place now rather than when I was younger.  When the topic deals with children I just turn into a mess of emotions!

Can you think of any other episodes that tugged at your heart strings?